Vehicles stolen from Capitol Hill lot

Vehicles stolen from Capitol Hill lot

OKLAHOMA CITY — It’s apparently back-to-school time for thieves who have targeted a high school parking lot in Oklahoma City.

Police said, in less than a month, three vehicles have been stolen from the parking lot at Capitol Hill High School.

The latest victim’s mother is now upset at the school’s response and said the previous crimes gave her son a premonition of danger that came true.

“He texted me and told me that he felt really sick,” Lisa Upton said, whose son shared that sick feeling with her last week while at Capitol Hill.

He was concerned about the safety of his truck which was parked in Capitol Hill’s south parking lot.

Shortly after that text, Upton said her son witnessed it being stolen.

“He was on the second floor and he went to run to look out the window and they were driving out of the parking lot with his vehicle,” she said.

The police report stated, Aug. 20, her son “…saw a white ’90s minivan pull up next to his truck. A hispanic male got into his locked truck and drove off…”

“That’s something our detectives are aware of,” MSgt. Gary Knight said. “Right now, they have not identified the suspect or suspects in these cases.”

That ’88 Chevy Silverado was Upton’s son’s first truck, he worked for a year to afford it.

Now, she can’t believe it wasn’t safe on school grounds.

“Yeah, you would think that you wouldn’t have to worry about that, being that it’s at a high school,” she said.

Although a campus officer is on duty during school hours, that truck became the third vehicle stolen from Capitol Hill High School since classes began Aug. 1.

“I don’t think it was a breakdown in security,” OKC Public Schools Spokesperson Tierney Tinnin said. “Just from the number that we’ve had the last couple of weeks, it could be possible that we’re being targeted at that school.”

Tinnin said students are supposed to sign a parking permit application waiver, stating, “…Capitol Hill is not responsible for any acts of thefts, vandalism, accidents, etc. that may occur while my car is on the CHHS campus.”

Upton said that means she will have to pay the school for a math book that was in her son’s stolen truck.

“Look at it this way, if your car is parked at the mall or movie theater or at the park, and it just happens to be stolen or vandalized, you would still be responsible for that book,” Tinnin said.

Upton said that stolen math book will cost her more than $70.

In response to the car thefts, Tinnin said Capitol Hill will have more teachers patrol the parking lot.

The police report noted previous victims found their stripped cars around the area of 33rd St. and South Villa Ave.